Princess Leonor of Asturias arrived in Oviedo on Thursday, where she was presented with the Gold Medal of Asturias, which she was awarded a year ago, on her 18th birthday.
Leonor’s new title is based in Oviedo – a town in northwest Spain, which is the capital of Asturias. Crown Princess Leonor was welcomed at Oviedo City Hall by Adrian Barbon, Head of Government of the Principality of Asturias, Juan Cofiño, President of the General Assembly of the Principality of Asturias, Adriana Lastra, representative of the central government in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, and Alfredo Canteli, Mayor of Oviedo.
The Princess of Asturias was then welcomed by members of the Municipal Corporation of the Oviedo City Council and took her seat in the plenary hall, after which the Secretary of the Plenary of the Oviedo City Council, Jesús Fernández, read out the decision to award her the title of Honorary Mayor of Oviedo, and the Mayor of Oviedo presented Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias with a medal and handed her the insignia, a symbolic baton and a document certifying her new status.
At the end, Princess Leonor signed the golden book and was photographed in front of the commemorative plaque.
His Majesty the King also received the title of honorary mayor of the city 36 years ago, so the appointment is a “tradition” given the royal family’s “familial and institutional ties” to the city.
Princess Leonor is due to be proclaimed honorary mayor the day before the ceremony. On that day, a classical concert with Their Majesties the King and Queen is held before the ceremony, and the Principality also has the honour of presenting her with the Gold Medal of Asturias, which she receives on her 18th birthday in October 2023.